Package of cracker and method of making said package



A DeC- 28, 1965 P. s. PowLlNG ETAL PACKAGE OF CRACKER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAID PACKAGE Filed Jan. 9, 1965 United States Patent O 3,225,921 PACKAGE OF CRACKER AND METHOD F MAKING SAID PACKAGE Philip Steward Powling, Ilford, Essex, and Ray Louvain Pettit, Woodford, Essex, England, assignors to Neilsons Gaiety Limited Filed Jan. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 250,396 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Jan. 11, 1962, 1,098/ 62 11 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to the packaging of Christmas crackers, also known as cracker bonbons or cosaques, each of which comprises a tube of crepe paper or the like constricted diametrically at two parts intermediate its ends forming waists. The crepe paper tube usually has a central stitlening tube of material such as cardboard, located between the constrictions, and the central portion serves as a receptacle for so called lling or furniture, which may consist of charms or favours, novelties and the like. Also included is a pull-cracker or snap, which gives the article its name.

For the purpose of this specification, such articles, and similar articles, will be referred to generally as crackers.

Because they are easily damaged crackers are almost invariably packed in boxes, usually of carboard, side by side in one or more layers held in position in the boxes by a thread which is passed in two spans between the side walls of the box and across the line of crackers. The packer, after the crackers have been placed in the boxes, uses a needle and thread; a lirst hole is pierced with the needle through the side of the box, near the top edge and roughly level with one row of the aligned waists, and then a second hole is made in the corresponding position in the opposite side of the box, so that the thread lies in the line of waists. Without cutting the thread, two more holes are made in the side walls, level with the other row of aligned waists, so that the thread is returned to the first side of the box. The two ends of thread now projecting from the same side of the box are tied off together by hand, to hold the crackers in position.

This operation in the production of the crackers, despite the deftness of the operatives, is slow and consequently costly and to maintain a steady production rate a very substantial proportion of the total labour force has to be employed on this work; so far as we are aware this situation has always existed in the manufacture of crackers.

The present invention is concerned with a method of packaging crackers in which the crackers are satisfactorily retained in their boxes, obviating the use of the needle and thread process, and the invention consists of a meth- 0d of packaging crackers, which comprises packing the crackers side by side in a box, slitting the edges of the box at a plurality of spaced positions along the upper edges of the sides of the box and inserting a thread or the like in the slits so formed to present a plurality of spans of thread across the crackers, and securing the ends of the thread.

The invention also includes a package made in accord* ance with the method.

The invention includes also crackers packaged in accordance with the method of the invention.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of embodiments thereof, given by way of example, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a plan view of a box of packaged crackers with the lid removed; and

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational View of the box of FIGURE 1.

As shown in the drawing, the crackers are of tradiice tional shape, each with a central cylindrical portion 11 and cylindrical end portions 12, 13, and intervening waist portions 14, 15. A dozen such crackers are packed within a rectangular or square cardboard box 16, in two layers. When the crackers are so packed, all the waists 14 will obviously be in line, as will the waists 15.

To retain the crackers in this position the two side edges of the box 16 are slit each by two slits at 17, 18 and 19, 20 respectively. The slits are arranged in two pairs 17, 19 and 18, 20 level with the waists 14 and 15 respectively. The slits are slightly inclined inwardly, so that the inner ends of slits 17 and 18 are closer together than the outer ends, and inner ends of slits 19 and 20 are similarly closer together.

A loop 21 of material is used to retain the crackers, located in slits 17 to 20 so that it will be across the width of the box in two spans, 22 and 23 which lie within the aligned waists 14 and 15, and two portions 24, 25 which lie against the outer surfaces of the sides of the box.

Conveniently the slits are made so that the spans of the loop will lie close to or against the base of the waisted portions of the crackers, as indicated in FIGURE 2.

The loop can be of different materials, but a loop which is simple, cheap and readily available is a rubber band; the rubber band can be slipped into position very quickly, and in a fraction of the time taken by the traditional needle and thread method, and its elasticity, in conjunction with the inwardly sloping slits, ensures that it is retained in position. The slitting of the box edge is not required in the traditional method, but box edges can be .slit quickly and accurately upon a very simple cutting jig.

The loop can also be of cotton thread or any like lilament. In this case the loop can be preformed and knotted, with a permanent knot or other securing means, or can be closed with a slip knot. With a permanently knotted thread loop, there is sul'licient resiliency in the box sides to allow the loop to be inserted easily in the slits. A non-looped thread or the like can be inserted in the slits and then knotted, for example, by hand or by an automatic knot-tier, also with great saving of time and expense.

What we claim is:

1. A method of packaging a plurality of crackers of substantially equal size, each of said crackers having a cylindrical middle portion and cylindrical end portions separated from said middle portion by waists, which comprises packing a plurality of said crackers side by side in a rectangular box having a bottom wall Iand two side walls and two end walls and parallel to said side walls thereby forming two rows of waists extending perpendicular to said side walls, providing a slit in each side wall of said box `adjacent to each end of each row of waists, each slit extending downwardly from the upper edge of a side wall substantially to the level of the adjacent waist, and pro viding a closed loop of a strand material which extends across both of said rows of waists, through said slits and across the slitted sides of said box between said slits.

2. A method a dened in claim 1 in which said closed loop consists of substantially non-elastic material, the sides of said box being flexible.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 in which said closed loop consists of an elastic material.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 in which said closed loop is applied as a preformed closed loop.

5. A method as dened in claim 1 in which said closed loop as applied includes a slip knot.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 in which said closed loop is formed by applying a strand of material having free ends and then tying said ends together.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 in which said slits are in the form of straight cuts extending downwardly from the upper edges of said sides of said box and are inclinded inwardly toward said middle cylindrical portions of said crackers.

8. A package of crackers consisting essentially of a rectangular box having a bottom wall and side and end walls, a plurality of crackers packed in said box side by side and parallel to said side walls, said crackers being of substantially equal size and each having a cylindrical middle portion and cylindrical end portions separated from said middle portion by waist portions, said waists lying in two rows extending perpendicular to said side walls, a slit in each side Wall adjacent to each end of each r-ow of waists, each slit extending downwardly from an edge of a side wall substantially to the level of the adjacent waist and a closed loop of strand material extending across said rows of waists, through said slits and across said side walls between said slits.

9. A package as defined in claim 8 in which said strand material is elastic.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 282,359 7/1883 Pacholder. 407,440 7/ 1889 Hearn.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

FRANK E. BAILEY, Examiner.

P. H. POHL, M. L. RICE, Assistant Examiners. 

